Claw-hammer.



D. G. WEST.

CLAW HAMMER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1914.

1,1 17,465, Patented Nov. 17, 1914 wuawtoz ,To all 'whom it may concern DAVID 0. WEST, OF'LAKE enoan, NEW YORK.

CLAW-HAMMER.

Be it known that 1, DAVID 0. WEST, .a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake i George, inthe county of Warren and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Claw-Hammers, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 111 Ihis invention relates to new and useful improvements in hammers, and particularly to claw hammers.

An object of this invention is the provision of a claw hammer by means of which a nail may be drawnwithout bending the same.

A' further object of this invention is the provision of a claw hammer by means of which headless nails-may be easily drawn.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a claw hammer in which gripping members are mounted in the 0pposing faces of the claws, the gripping memers being adapted to securely grip a nail at any point. along its length, whereby a series of short draws may be made upon the nail so that the same may be entirely drawn without bending the nail.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a claw hammer, in the end of one claw of which a pair of secondary claws is formed whereby' extremely small nails may be started before the same are engaged by the ripping members in the opposing faces 0 the main claws.

With these and other objects in view, my invention-consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-"- I" Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a hammer constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof; Fi 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 0 Fig. 1; and 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of mounting a roller in one of the claws.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body of a hammer to which the usual handle 2 is connected, the body having a pair of claws 3 of ordinary construction formed on one end thereof. Formed in the opposing faces of the claws are recesses 4 which extend from the inner faces of the claws to points adjacent Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied August 22, 1914. Serial No. 858,048.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

the outer faces thereof, and formed the end walls of the recesses 4 are guide ways 5 in which the trunnions 6 of cylindrical roll ers 7 are mounted, the guide ways being arranged in such relation, that the bight portions of the rollers extend in the same plane as, the opposingfuces of the claws. I The inner faces of the claws surrounding the l ecesses 4 are countersunk as at 8 to receive suitable caps 9 -whichare seemed in thecountersunk portions by screws or other similar fastening device, whereby the rollers are held in their positions within the recesses. The forward end of one of the claws is preferably bifurcated to provide a pair of secondary claws 10, b means of which small nailsmay be starte s In the practical use of my claw hammer,

the nail is first started by engaging the ends of the claws underthe head of the mail in the usual manner, whereupon the hammer is manipulated to engage the body of the nail between the rollers, and upon using the hammer head as a fulcrum the nail may be drawn, the rollers gripping the nail tightly therebetween. The periphery of the rollers is preferably knurled or otherwise roughened to provide a firm grip, and it will be readily seen that the grip of the rollers on the nail will be released as soon as the pull upon the nail is discontinued. In this mannor, the nail may be entirely withdrawn by a series of short grips or draws, so that the nail may be withdrawn without bending the same, whereby the nail may be again used. \Vhen a nail having a head of small diameter is to be withdrawn, the claws 10 are engaged under the head in the ordinarv manner to start the nail, whereupon the nail is engaged between the rollers 7 and operated in the hereinbefore described manner. It will be seen from Fig. 3 of the drawing, that the side walls of the recesses4 converge from the inner faces of the claws to the outer ends of the recesses, whereby the side walls are inclined so that the rollers 7 may ride upon the'inclined walls when engaged with the shank of a nail, until the rollers bind against the side walls of the nail to securely grip the same. It will be seen that immediately upon suspension of the pull upon the nail, the rollers will be allowed to move up wardly in the recesses to loosen the grip of the same upon the shank of the nail, and in this manner aseries of short grabs may be made to entirely withdraw the nail without bending of the same, whereby the nail is drawn straight from its hole, so that the surface of the wood is not mutilated or torn and the hole is not enlarged as the nail is drawn. As the nail is drawn straight, the same is removed from the wood with a minimum amount of friction so that practically no strain is imposed upon the hammer han; die, and by being able to make short positive draws, the fulcrum point on the hammer head can be kept close to the nail or point of resistance and thereby greatly increase the leverage of the hammer handle and by reducing the strain on the handle, the danger of loosening or breaking the same is minimized.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination with a hammer having diverging claws, said claws having transversely alined recesses formed in their opposing faces, of rollers loosely mounted in said recesses, said rollers extending in the same longitudinal plane as the longitudinal faces of the claws, whereby said rollers extend in diverging relation from their inner ends to their outer ends.

2. The combination with a hammer having diverging claws, said claws having transversely alined recesses formed in their opposing faces, said recesses being open at one side of the claws and extending closely adjacent to the opposite side of the claws,

the end walls of the recesses having guide ways formed therein, of rollers loosely mounted in said recesses, said rollers carrying trunnions disposed in the guide Ways, said rollers extending in the same longitu dinal plane as the opposing faces of the claws whereby the rollers extend in diverging relation from their inner ends to their outer ends, and means for closing the open sides of said recesses.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses. DAVID C. WEST. \Vitnesses:

LEOIOLD B. OnnLL, HAZEL G. VEST. 

